The Moon Touched Girls
by Gwencreyr
Summary: The adventures of my Etrian Odyssey 2 characters, or a standard comedic-fantasy romp; whichever you prefer. Now with more proofreading!
1. In which Satsuki assumes a false name

_The title given to this story is incorrect due to technical limitations. The correct title is **The Moon-Touched Girls.**_

* * *

I slid the bullet into the muzzle of my trusty flintlock, and looked up.

My comrades lay fallen on either side of me, yet the foul beast before me was near death as well. If my shot was true, it would put an end to this final monster, and the deepest and darkest secrets of the Labyrinth of Yggdrasil would finally be ours to claim. We would be hailed as the Heroes of Lagaard, our names and deeds renowned the world over.

The enemy opened its maw and roared ferociously. Unfazed, for I was a hardened adventurer, I lifted my gun and sighted along its barrel at the monster's heart. My finger tightened on the trigger.

A curious, almost human expression suddenly overcame the beast's ichor-dripping muzzle. I blinked as it reached out a twisted, deformed arm covered in green skin and poked me in the forehead. "Hey, are you a gunner?" it asked in the voice of a young woman. "Wake up."

I woke up.

"Forget it, Yayoi," a voice was saying. "We don't need a gunner who's liable to doze off in broad daylight."

"Wha?" I managed, rubbing my eyes. I remembered where I was; in the Explorers' Guild of High Lagaard, sitting by the stone walls and waiting to attract the interest of a group just like this one, who might perchance be in need of another adventurer. "Wait, don't-" Hurriedly, I took stock of the group before me.

Four girls. The leftmost of them was in foreign dress- a kimono, I think they're called, in pink and blue with an elegant sash- and had a rose pinned to her short brown hair. I wouldn't have expected someone to go about exploring labyrinths and slaying monsters in such nice clothes. Only the sheathed dagger by her side suggested to me she was indeed an adventurer and not some heiress or proper young lady.

The one to the right of her had curled hair of an arresting, hot-pink color. She, at least, was dressed in leather. But it can't have been very effective as armor, seeing how it left large swaths of her shoulders, midriff and thighs bare; and the remainder looked too supple and form-fitting to offer much protection. I wondered what the designer had been thinking. She too had a dagger buckled by the side of her miniskirt, but for some reason I felt a blunt weapon would suit her better.

The third girl was straightforward, at least- she was a witch. Pointy hat, long dress, gnarled staff, the works; although she did eschew the traditional black in favor of an outfit in red with gold trim. The girl who wore the outfit looked rather like me, with long blonde hair- curled, unlike mine- piercing blue eyes, and a certain classical beauty. Her face bore a capricious grin, though, which suggested her temperament was little like mine.

And the final one... well, she had red hair that could have been quite pretty if she'd taken better care of it. She wore a featureless black robe, and a medallion and a bell hung from her neck, both of them made of brass. I recognized them as the tools of a curse-maker; there had been one in my hometown. I'd been frightened of that one, upon a time, but this girl seemed too disinterested and melancholy to scare me.

...So much for hurriedly taking stock. The heiress was speaking to me, it seemed. "Why were you asleep?" she asked.

"Um, uh..." I rubbed my eyes again. "The heat was getting to me, I always get sleepy when I'm warm. Besides, the man at the front desk said it can take days or even weeks for a novice adventurer like me to be recruited by a guild. I wasn't expecting-"

"If you're hot, why don't you take off that coat?" the witch interrupted; I recognized her voice as the one which had woken me. "You're not in the north anymore. It must be stifling."

"If I did, no one would recognize me as a gunner," I replied, a hint of indignation creeping into my voice. "Besides, it's a heirloom." Who were these people? You didn't separate a gunner from their coat. Everyone knew that.

"You don't even have a gun," observed the pink-haired one, looking at the empty holster at my side. "What use is a gunner without a gun?"

"I sold it to pay for the journey here. I planned to buy a new one once I found a guild," I replied.

"Sell your coat and buy a gun," recommended the witch.

"No."

"Stop it, you two," said the heiress, glancing firmly at her companions. "We sold our weapons to pay for the voyage, too. Or are you going to pretend that these cheap daggers and staves are our arms of choice?"

As a short bout of bickering ensued that didn't include me, I wondered if these strange girls had come to invite me to adventure with them, or merely to harass me. _Maybe I had better refuse, either way,_ I mused, closing my eyes briefly.

"Not falling asleep again, I hope?" That was the heiress's voice again.

"Of course not," I replied, opening my eyes.

She smiled at me, quite unexpectedly; I hadn't thought her as even capable of smiling. "Well, as you can see, our guild is short a member," she said. "Would you like to join and challenge the Labyrinth with us?"

I frowned, hesitating at first. "I'm not really sure..." I began, before remembering the words of the man up front; days or even weeks, he'd said. I could try to form a guild of my own, but then the onus would be on me to keep everyone in line, and for all I knew all adventurers were just as unmanageable as these girls. At least the heiress seemed like a capable leader.

"...but I suppose a novice like me can't afford to pass up any opportunities," I finished. I returned the young lady's smile, as I got to my feet and offered her my hand. "I'm-"

"Satsuki," she interrupted; rather than take my hand, she bowed slightly. At the mention of that name, I noticed her companions look strangely at her. The witch even opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again, apparently reconsidering.

"Huh?" I blinked. "Is that your name?"

The heiress shook her head. "That is my one condition. If you join us, you'll henceforth be known as Satsuki and by no other name," she said. "Is that unacceptable to you?"

"Can't we call her... uh... Minazuki comes next, doesn't it?" asked the pink-haired girl uneasily.

"No," stated the heiress. "Satsuki, and that's final."

I simply stared at her. I had heard that it was common for adventurers in Lagaard to assume false names, something all but encouraged by the Grand Duchy's policy of guaranteeing amnesty to criminals- foreign and domestic- willing to challenge the labyrinth. But being asked, myself, to assume a false name simply because I was joining a certain guild? It was something I'd never even dreamed of.

Was I about to fall in with a gang of criminals? I couldn't imagine this humorless young lady or capricious witch being murderers or thieves; that seemed more the domain of the unshaven men and coarse women who chatted together, laughing loudly, closer to the center of the guild hall. But perhaps I was being too generous to them just because they seemed hardly more than girls, like me.

"If you prefer, you can sell your coat," the witch offered. "Your coat, or your name. Which one means more to you?"

"Quiet, Yayoi," the heiress scolded; but those words had given me resolve. It was an indignity to give up either my name or my coat for the privilege of being recruited into a dubious guild like this, but now she'd made it a challenge. I'd show this stuck-up witch that I could play their game.

"My coat," I told the girl named Yayoi, glaring at her.

"You'll sell your coat?"

I shook my head, and offered her my hand. "Nice to meet you," I said, my tone conveying quite the opposite sentiment. "I'm Satsuki."

Abruptly, the pink-haired girl burst out laughing. She stepped beside me and threw her arm around my shoulder, as if she'd known me for a long time. "You'll have to excuse Mutsuki," she said. "She's a bit strange. We're all a bit strange, as I'm sure you've noticed... but I think you'll fit right in." She grinned. "I'm Kisaragi, you've heard Yayoi's name-" she indicated the witch nonetheless- "and the silent one is Uzuki."

I studied the black-robed girl, Uzuki, who indeed had not spoken a word during the brief time I'd been acquainted with these four. The medallion that rested upon her chest reminded me of something I'd meant to ask. "By the way, what trades do you follow as adventurers?" I asked. "I can see Uzuki's a curse maker, but the rest of your trades must dress differently in my homeland, since it's a lot colder."

"Curse maker?" Mutsuki asked, blinking.

"Must be what they call hexers where she's from," Kisaragi suggested. "Anyway, I'm what they call a a dark hunter."

"I am a ronin. A type of swordswoman," said Mutsuki. "It wouldn't be an affront if you hadn't heard of us. We are foreign as well." She smiled another of her thin smiles that seemed almost forced. "I had not knownof gunners before I came to Lagaard, either."

"I'm a war magus," said Yayoi cheerfully, then paused and scratched her head. "I think that's what they're called, anyway."

"You don't know what your trade is called?" I asked her.

"Well, I used to be a medic, but I noticed it's a lot more fun running into the front line and whacking monsters with my staff than waiting for someone to call for healing." She grinned. "Turns out there's a trade in Lagaard that specializes in just that. And the outfit is a lot cuter, don't you think?"

"I see... I suppose so," I replied, and nodded politely in uncomprehension. "Well, that explains why I didn't recognize any of you. I'm afraid your trades don't exist where I hail from, except for... hexers, you said."

Kisaragi blinked. "No dark hunters up there? Really?" she said. "Must be punishment enough for people just being out in that weather." I was unsure what she meant by that.

"Don't be fooled by Uzuki's clothes, by the way. She's no hexer," the witch said in far too bright a tone. "She's just useless."

I blinked. "Useless?"

"Uzuki draws our maps," said Mutsuki. "And carries the medical supplies. She doesn't know any healing spells, but she's our backup."

"She can't curse a thing, except maybe herself," Yayoi continued, ignoring the ronin entirely. "And she's not strong enough to fight either. We only let her tag along because she's my sister."

I glanced at the rest of the group. Mutsuki had fallen silent and fixed me with an embarrassed gaze that communicated, quite simply: I tried. Kisaragi merely looked amused. And the object of the discussion, the silent girl, had done nothing but tilt her head forward slightly; her unkempt hair fell over her face, concealing her brow and eyes.

Well, if no one else was going to speak up for Uzuki, I would. "Isn't that a little rude?" I asked Yayoi. "If she's your sister, it's even worse." Though the two of them didn't look much alike, I observed. In terms of appearance, I would have been better suited to be Yayoi's sister... not that I had any wish to be, seeing the way she treated the one she already had.

Yayoi tossed her head haughtily, then glared at me. "You're the one that's rude," she replied. "She's my sister; I'll speak of her how I like. And I'm telling the truth. Are you going to argue otherwise, when you barely know either of us?" she challenged me.

I glared right back at her. "Still," I said, "I'm sure she's trying her-" My words faltered as I saw the girl known as Uzuki stir. She shook the hair out of her eyes, slowly, and met my gaze. Her mouth opened.

"...it's okay."

Uzuki's voice was scarcely louder then a whisper, and sounded like that of a girl half her age. Her words had a peculiar intonation to them, as if she didn't know the language well or wasn't used to speaking at all. Such a voice was entirely in keeping with her appearance, yet hearing it didn't bring back my unpleasant memories of the curse-maker in my village, who I had only really known as a bogeyman that my mother used to keep me in line. It only made me want to defend her all the more fiercely from the sister who didn't deserve her.

Yet, as she had requested, I fell silent.

"See?" Yayoi declared gleefully. "Uzuki's useless, and even she knows it. Don't argue with us."

"Shut up, Yayoi," said Mutsuki. I smiled inwardly. The witch must grate on her nerves as well, to draw such a modern idiom from her mouth.


	2. In which Mutsuki lacks composure

Eventually, we headed over to the front desk to complete the matter of our guild's registration.

Mutsuki spoke to the armored man I had talked with earlier, while the rest of us stood about with little to do. As receptionists go, the man was quite impressive. He was dressed in ceremonial plate armor, including a full-face helmet, and was doubtless tall even without it. His gauntlets, apparently, were finely wrought enough that he could handle a quill pen with ease without removing them.

"And what would you like to call your guild?" the man asked Mutsuki.

"Lunatic," she replied, having to tilt her head back at what must be an uncomfortable angle to look at his helmet and not his breastplate. I hadn't noticed earlier, but the ronin was rather short; an inch or two shorter than the others, and a few inches shorter than me, whom it seemed was now the tallest member of the guild. I grinned inwardly. It made her a little less intimidating, and more... cute.

"An interesting name," replied the man. And a fitting one, thought I. He paused. "It seems... somehow familiar. Did your guild, by any chance, previously challenge the labyrinth of Etria-"

"And what business is it of yours?"

My wandering eyes snapped back to Mutsuki, and I must have jumped. For the rest of my life, I don't think I'll forget the pure ice of the tone in which the ronin interrupted the man with those words. Nor will I easily forget the sight of the elegantly dressed girl glaring at an armored man who towered nearly two feet above her.

I was stunned for a moment. So, seemingly, was the man; perhaps he was even as intimidated as I. I'd already started to think of myself as the most level-headed of my new companions, so felt that I should open my mouth and try to defuse the situation; but at the same time, the thought of chastising the ronin suddenly filled me with terror. After what seemed like ages of uncomfortable silence, I forced my mouth open. "Mutsuki-" I began.

Luckily for me, most probably- since I knew nothing of the guild's past- Yayoi stepped forward at that moment and shouldered the ronin aside. "Yes, we were in Etria, but we are not the heroes you're perhaps thinking of," she stated respectfully. "You'll have to excuse my guildmate. Her memories of the time are... not pleasant."

Much as I might dislike her for other reasons, the witch seemed to have a good head on her shoulders when the situation called for it. I closed my mouth, my eyes, and allowed myself to relax. A voice near me muttered under its breath; Mutsuki's. "Heroes of Etria?" she said. "Butchers of Etria, more like."

I opened my eyes again, and glanced at her. It seemed my companions had a dark past after all, if not necessarily a criminal one.

"I see," said the armored man at the desk. "Forgive me. It is my idle curiosity that was at fault. As you may know, the Grand Duchy of Lagaard does not make it official policy to inquire into the past of our adventurers."

"You're forgiven," replied Yayoi. "You couldn't have known that the mere mention of a place would upset one of us."

There were a few minutes of relative silence, as further paperwork was filled out with the witch now taking charge. In that time, I did hear a girlish giggle and a whisper of "That was awesome, Mutsuki"; the scuffling of feet; and a small shriek. I glanced in its direction to see the ronin some distance away from us, apparently subjecting Kisaragi to an extended cheek-pulling session.

"Well, everything seems to be in order," the man eventually said. "You may proceed to the Duke's palace to receive the details of the citizenship examination, or return here if at any time you wish to change the membership of your guild or your adventuring party." He paused. "Although the limit is five for a party, I'd recommend recruiting a backup adventurer or two, just in case one of your number is put out of commission. Though that shan't last long, since High Lagaard has the finest doctors in the world," he declared confidently.

Happening to have my eyes on her, I witnessed Yayoi revert in an instant from the level-headed young woman she'd momentarily become to her usual capricious self. "Is that so?" she inquired in a lyrical voice, her expression telltale.

"Indeed," the armored man replied, suspecting nothing.

The witch opened her mouth to deliver a verbal jab, but just then, Uzuki- who had been standing closely behind her, silent as usual- tugged at the back of her robe. Yayoi paused, and looked over her shoulder.

"...no right," said the hexer.

Yayoi blinked, and turned to face her sister, putting her hands on her hips. "Huh?" she said.

My mouth seemed to open of its own accord. "I think she means you have no right to become jealous," I told the witch, "because you're not a medical specialist yourself, are you? Not any longer, at least," I recalled.

Yayoi looked quizzically at me for a moment, but accepted my interpretation of Uzuki's words- at least I assumed so, from the way she raised her hand and prodded her sister squarely in the forehead. The hexer didn't make a sound, but only collapsed to her knees, in a manner that might have been overly theatrical had anyone else done it. Somehow, it seemed to suit her perfectly.

"I don't want to hear that from you, useless one," one sister lectured another, following it up with other insults I didn't care to listen to. I suddenly felt bad. Had I brought this new bout of abuse on Uzuki? If I hadn't spoken up, maybe Yayoi would have simply failed to understand her and ignored her. Turning away, I found myself facing the armored man.

"Thank you very much," I said, giving him a small bow- for that seemed to be the custom around here, or at least Mutsuki's custom. Besides, it's awkward to offer a handshake to a man holding a quill pen. "We'll keep your advice in mind... well, I will, anyway." I imagined a sheepish smile under that helmet as he watched the behavior of my companions.

Yayoi had seemed to lose interest in disparaging her sister fairly quickly, at least. She wandered off towards where Mutsuki stood with her hands on her hips and Kisaragi sat rubbing her cheeks; Uzuki remained on her knees, her hair falling over her face. I leaned over slightly, offering the hexer a hand to help her up. "I'm sorry if I made that worse for you," I told her.

After what seemed a moment's hesitation, she took my hand. As Uzuki rose to her feet, our eyes met. The slightest hint of a smile appeared on her face, and she gave me a gentle nod. Once on her feet, she turned to hurry after her sister.

I wondered what that nod had meant, as I headed over to join the other girls as well. _Yes, you did make it worse?_ But why would she have smiled, if that's what she were telling me? I'd like to think, at least, that it meant _Yes, that was exactly what I wanted to say to Yayoi._

* * *

Kisaragi was still rubbing her cheeks when I returned to the rest of Lunatic Guild; they were visibly red. Whether it was from the rubbing, or Mutsuki's earlier discipline, I couldn't say. "'m the one who's supposed to punish people," she mumbled dejectedly. "You're so mean, Mutsuki... can't you take a joke?"

The ronin ignored her. "Well, where to next?" she asked me. "You were the last to talk to him, so I assume you know."

I blinked. "Oh. Um. The Duke's palace," I said. "We're supposed to inquire about a sponsorship examination or something like that."

"Let's be off, then," Mutsuki said, turning on her heel and preparing to walk briskly away.

"Um. Wait just a moment."

"What is it, Satsuki?" asked the ronin, sounding as if her temper was wearing thin again. She turned back to me, fixing me with a severe gaze that filled me with mild terror. And to think that not an hour ago, I had mused to myself that this short, elegantly dressed girl was cute.

I swallowed; it was too late to turn back now. "You reacted kind of badly back there," I told her. "If it hadn't been for Yayoi, something unpleasant might have happened. And in front of a duke, or his high officials, it might not matter even if Yayoi does her best to make amends." I paused briefly. "I think I should go alone to the Duke's palace as the guild's representative. Or if you must come, all of you should promise to be absolutely silent and let me do the talking."

Mutsuki crossed her arms, and regarded me for a long moment, during which my imagination ran wild. Well, there it was. I'd said it. I'd be thrown out of the guild for sure. Or, if my brief suspicions that my companions were criminals had been correct, maybe worse than that. I'd end up in a dark alley with my throat slit, dying far from home, without dignity or honor.

"Well, I can't disagree with your point," replied the ronin eventually; I felt that I might collapse as the tension started to leave me. Mutsuki turned to the others. "Since Satsuki has so generously offered to deal with the bureaucracy, the rest of us should go and arrange our lodgings at the inn in the meantime," she proposed. "How does that sound?"

Kisaragi grinned. "Fine by me," she said.

"I don't mind," said Yayoi. Beside her, even Uzuki nodded, meeting my eyes with another hint of a smile.

"Satsuki," said Mutsuki. I nearly jumped, my tension not entirely gone, before calming myself and meeting her gaze.

"I'll come fetch you at the palace," the ronin told me. "Do not worry. I shall wait at the entrance and do my best not to cause any disturbances."

I smiled. "Thanks, Mutsuki." I walked off with a spring in my step- for precisely five steps, before I turned around and looked at my companions.

"Um... which way to the palace?"


	3. In which Kisaragi's fond of little girls

True to her word, Mutsuki was waiting for me outside the palace after I finished my chat with the Duke's minister and received a pamphlet detailing the ducal sponsorship examination. But I hadn't expected Kisaragi to tag along with her. "Felt like a walk?" I asked the hunter.

She shrugged. "It's dull sitting around with just those two. I mean, Yayoi's easy to mess with, but... it's just _too_ easy to be any fun. And since all of us need new weapons, I thought maybe we could do a little shopping on the way back."

"We spent the last of our money on the inn," Mutsuki reminded her.

Kisaragi grinned, and pointed at me. "But she's got money, doesn't she?" she said confidently.

"If you had asked me that an hour ago, I would have been able to say no," I replied. "Unfortunately, the Duke's minister gave us an allowance, in anticipation of the successful completion of our first mission."

Mutsuki blinked. "How much?"

"Five hundred crowns. Or whatever they call the currency here." I did some arithmetic in my head. "Where I hail from, I think that much in local currency would buy you one serviceable sword or gun. Maybe."

"Don't worry, this is the big city!" Kisaragi declared, clapping me on the back and causing me to cough. "Things are cheaper here!"

"In a manner, anyway. Price correlates quite strongly with quality," said Mutsuki, frowning. "I don't know what kind of weapons we'll get for a hundred and fifty en each."

"Don't you mean a hundred?" I asked the ronin.

She shook her head. "Uzuki doesn't really need a weapon- we can give her one of these daggers. And if Yayoi wants a bigger stick then she has now, she can find it in the Labyrinth."

I shrugged. "Well, let's see what we can find. Where can we buy weapons that cheap?"

Kisaragi grinned again and pointed to a storefront, quite possibly at random. "Somewhere like that," she said.

The store she indicated was conspicuous, in a way, if only because it was much more ramshackle then any of its neighbors; it looked as if it might have been built in an alley from scraps of wood gathered from the gutters, or perhaps it was just old and decrepit. Either way, it was a shack. "Sitoth Trading," stated the red paint of a rather messily hand-lettered sign hanging above the threshold. The inside of the shop was dark, and none of the items visible in the windows were discernible as anything an adventurer might use.

"Isn't that a dry goods store?" asked Mutsuki. "Would they sell weapons?"

"Are they even open?" I wondered.

"Only one way to find out," said Kisaragi. She walked over to the store, tried the door, and found it unlocked. The hunter disappeared inside, and Mutsuki followed after her. With a sigh, I headed into the dubious shop as well.

* * *

Sitoth Trading was, quite simply, full of junk. Some of it might have been adventurer's supplies- I heard the clank of metal as I navigated among the piles, towards the counter in the back- but I could hardly see a thing. "It really is dark in here," I heard Mutsuki's voice comment. "Is anyone minding the shop?"

"C-customers?"

That surprised voice sounded from the depths of the store as I finished making my way to where Mutsuki and Kisaragi stood. My eyes began to adjust in time to see a small girl, not more than ten or twelve, rush towards the counter opposite us. She had brown hair in a pair of braids, best as I could tell, and a flower pinned to her hair much like Mutsuki. "Welcome to Sitoth Trading," she said, brushing at her clothes self-consciously. "May I help you with-"

"How cute!"

That last exclamation came from Kisaragi. Unexpectedly, the hunter reached over the counter and seized the girl's hands. "What's your name? Are you minding the store while your parents are away?" she demanded of the girl, her expression one of pure adoration.

"U-um..." The girl seemed quite intimidated by Kisaragi; I couldn't blame her. But she reacted well, as befit a merchant-to-be. "I'm Abigail... and my father's in the back," she replied. "He makes the goods, and I talk to the customers, if there are any... um..."

The hunter's expression changed, as she continued to clasp Abigail's hands. She looked... upset. Even angry. "Wh-what is it?" asked the little girl, visibly becoming even more nervous. "I, I can try to fetch him, but-"

"Please do," said Kisaragi. Her icy voice wasn't quite the equal of Mutsuki's, but was doubtless sufficient to terrify poor Abigail out of her wits. "Keeping a girl like you cooped up in this dark shop, on a lovely day like this... I'm going to teach him a lesson he won't-"

A hand reached out and grabbed the back of Kisaragi's bustier, yanking her away from the counter- and nearly dragging Abigail over it as well, for the hunter let go of her hands only reluctantly. "Kisaragi, you're scaring her," said Mutsuki.

"Am I?" the hunter asked. The hint of sauciness in her reply was enough for the ronin to cast a glance at me before dragging Kisaragi off. I assumed the situation was in my hands, and stepped forward to the counter, a chorus of sundry items being dislodged from their burial places sounding behind me as my companions retreated.

"Ah, um," the girl named Abigail said, looking somewhat as if she'd like to run and hide in the back room until we left. I gave her my best smile. "I'm sorry about that," I said, casting a glance behind me. "She's a handful, even for us."

"I-it's okay... I just wasn't expecting it," Abigail replied. She cast her eyes downward, and although one couldn't discern color very well in the darkness of the shop, I thought I saw a hint of pinkness on the girl's cheeks. "...That's the first time a customer asked my name," she said.

I scratched my head. "Well, I don't know if we're customers yet," I replied. "Is there perchance a light in here, or a window that you can open? None of us can see what you're selling."

"Oh!" said Abigail. "Father said not to leave the window open unless there's customers, because the sunlight is bad for the medicines. But I guess if you might be customers, that's okay." She smiled brightly. "I'll be just a moment," she promised, and hurried into the back. Soon enough, a window opened, light flooded into the shop, and the place transformed.

Not a lot, mind you. It was still a chaotic mess, but at least now you could tell what was for sale. And the answer was still 'junk.' I looked around, and saw the other two browsing near the front of the shop.

"I suppose I should have asked first whether you sell what we're looking for," I said to Abigail when she returned to the counter. "Do you have any weapons? You know, for adventurers?"

"Right over there," the girl replied, still smiling brightly. She pointed to where my companions were browsing; they'd found it in the dark, apparently. Impressive. "Thank you," I told Abigail, and gave her a small bow- I figured she'd had her hands grabbed enough for one day. Then I went to join Mutsuki and Kisaragi in inspecting the merchandise.

It wasn't much of a task on my part; the shop had only one pistol. I looked over the dubious firearm briefly, then turned and showed it to Kisaragi. "Look at this," I said in a low voice, not particularly wanting the girl at the counter to overhear. "It comes pre-jammed for your convenience. No need to wait for it to fail in the midst of a tense battle."

Kisaragi grinned and whistled in mock appreciation, as I thought she might, even if she didn't know the first thing about firearms. "A whip is a whip for the most part, but if these ones were a little less flexible, Yayoi could use one as a staff," she said to me.

I turned to the ronin, who was holding a sword before her and eyeing it critically. "How is it?" I inquired.

"Looks like someone took a bar of pig iron, bent it, and sharpened it to have an edge," she replied, then peered at it closer. "...No, it's actually forged. Amazing. Not the blade, the fact that anyone would waste their time working metal of this quality." Mutsuki frowned in disapproval. "It would be better suited to shoe a horse with."

"Shall we go elsewhere, then?" I asked, setting the gun down on a pile of junk.

"No," declared Kisaragi.

I blinked at her. "Didn't you say the whips were no good, too? Do you really want to spend all the money we have on weapons like these?"

"I'm sure Abigail and her father wouldn't sell merchandise of this quality without a good reason," said the hunter firmly. "I'm going to ask her why."

"Kisaragi-" I began, but she was already marching toward the counter. The ronin eyed me, and shook her head.

"What is it?" I asked her, my mood fraying.

"Don't try to intervene," Mutsuki said. "I know Kisaragi better than you. She won't let us leave this shop without our entire purse ending up in the hands of that little girl somehow or other." She picked up the pistol I'd set aside and offered it back to me. "You may as well take this."

With a sigh, I took the pistol and headed towards the counter as well. Kisaragi had struck up another conversation with Abigail, who seemed to have recovered from her earlier trauma; the hunter, in turn, wasn't acting quite so familiar. "So your shop doesn't get many customers, Abigail?" I heard as I came within earshot.

Abigail shook her head, seeming disappointed. "We weren't doing badly in Cobourg, where I was born," she said. "Father was so sure we'd have even more customers in a big city like this. And..." Her gaze traveled downward again. "We've been open a week, but... you're the only people who have even come in," she admitted.

"It's because this place is so dark and run-down, people can't tell that you're open, or even in business," said the ronin, who had followed me to the counter. "Put the medicines in a cabinet and keep the window open. And redo the front."

"I'm not sure 'Sitoth Trading' is the best name for your store," said Kisaragi. "Why don't you call yourself 'Sitoth's Fine Adventuring Supplies' or something like that?"

"And frankly, your merchandise is junk," I told Abigail. "At least your weapons are." This earned me a venomous glare from Kisaragi, but someone had to say it. And it didn't seem to upset the girl any more then she already was.

"It's because of the rent," Abigail muttered.

"What's that, Abigail?" The hunter turned her attention from me back to her.

Abigail looked up at us, her expression stolid. "Father and I... we saved up and even after the journey here, we had plenty of money, so we thought we'd be able to start a nice shop," she said. "But the rent is really terrible. This is the only shop we could get, and the... down payment, I think it's called... cost almost everything we had. We couldn't afford to remodel, or buy any good materials."

"Wow!" exclaimed Kisaragi, smiling at the melancholy girl. "You know a lot about business for a girl your age, Abigail." I wondered if she'd even followed what Abigail had said. Regardless, the hunter's words didn't cheer the girl before us up any.

"Father said that craftsmanship is all that matters," said the little girl. "But that isn't true, is it?" She turned to the side, averting her eyes from us. "...I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say."

Nor did anyone else, it seems, even Kisaragi. An awkward silence transpired... until Abigail blinked. Quite unexpectedly, she turned back to us, a bright smile on her face. "I... I have an idea," the girl said, a little hesitantly. "You're going into the Labyrinth, aren't you? The big forest inside the giant tree?"

"If we can find any decent weapons, we are," I said. "We don't have much money, though."

"I want to ask a big favor of you," said Abigail, clasping her hands together before herself nervously. "If you kill any monsters, and they leave something that might be useful to a craftsman- bone, hide, feathers, anything like that- could you bring it back here? I'll pay you, best as I can," she promised. "And Father will use whatever you bring to make better goods. Even though the weapons you're holding now are awful... he's really talented." She looked plaintively at us. "Please believe me."

"We did the same thing in Etria," Kisaragi said. "There, it was because the place was so remote they couldn't get supplies from elsewhere." She reached over the counter and took the girl's hands in hers again. "But we'll be delighted to do the same for you, Abigail!"

With a quiet sigh, I exchanged a glance with Mutsuki. Abigail seemed sincere enough, but I couldn't help but feel that we were being played for fools.

"Craftsmanship, huh," said the ronin. She unsheathed the blade she held and looked at it again. "To tell the truth, I'm impressed that anyone could even get metal like this to hold an edge... I doubt it will last long, but I suppose I can fight with a club with a while." She smiled one of her thin smiles. "And I'd like to see what your father can do with proper steel, Abigail."

"Why's this gun jammed?" I asked the girl, showing her the pistol in my hand.

"Oh." Abigail blushed. "That's probably because I fired it. Father wanted me to test it, but I didn't really know what I was doing." She pointed at an empty wooden frame further back in the shop. "I broke a mirror, too. But Father's making some wonderful daggers out of the shards, so it turned out okay." The girl looked thoughtful. "Maybe I should break another one nearer the bottom, and he can make a sword."

"I would not," advised Mutsuki. "Glass is too brittle to make a lasting blade with. For daggers it might be suitable, but nothing larger."

"And don't try to shoot any more guns," I told Abigail. "Especially not indoors. Ask me if you want someone to test a firearm, okay?" I sensed a smile rising to my face, unbidden; it seemed the girl had finally won me over. If she was faking her and her father's dire straits, she was good at it. I didn't mind being taken advantage of by her.

"I will!" said the girl. "Would you like to buy those weapons? I'll give you a discount. How much money do you have?" she asked, almost too eagerly. I almost reconsidered my judgement.

"Five hundred en," replied Kisaragi immediately. _Figures, this is the one time she's honest,_ I thought.

"I'll sell them all to you for four hundred... along with, umm..." Abigail turned and rushed to the back of the shop, hastily gathering some up items. "These medicines that were lying in the sun," she said upon her return. "No guarantees that they'll work. But you look strong, so I'm sure you'll not even need them on your journey into the Labyrinth!"

I grinned. _That girl will make a fine merchant one day._ I drew the coin purse I'd received from the Duke's minister from my coat pocket, and looked at Mutsuki; at the ronin's nod, I tossed it on the counter. Abigail cheerfully began counting our change.

"Why not call yourself 'Sitoth's Fine Adventuring Supplies', by the way?" recalled the hunter. "You didn't answer that."

"Oh," said the girl. "I don't think I could write that small. I wrote the sign out there myself, you see!" She seemed proud, so none of us had the heart to tell her it was obviously a child's handwriting. Precocious as Abigail might be in some ways, she was a child, after all.

Well... maybe that sign would lure in a few customers like-minded to Kisaragi.

Four hundred en poorer, and in possession of three weapons of fine craftsmanship but dubious quality and a number of potentially spoiled medicines, we departed Sitoth Trading. The girl waved as we left. "Don't forget to bring back lots of monster guts to sell me!" she called after us.

"Monster guts." I made a face. "That's your job, Kisaragi."

"It was my job back in Etria, too," the hunter replied, grinning. "You don't have to watch if you don't want to."

"Since you're the city expert, know where we can find some armor for twenty en apiece?"

"I'll show you the best armor in the world. It's free, and it's called 'hitting them before they hit you.'"


	4. In which Yayoi sleeps with her sister

"Which room is ours?" I asked my companions as we made our way through the common room of the inn, towards the back. "I think I'm going to collapse until dinnertime." I punctuated my words with a wide yawn for emphasis.

"The second and third on the second floor," said Mutsuki. She frowned disapprovingly at me. "But you were napping before we met, too. Did you sleep at all during the night?"

"I told you, I always get sleepy when I'm warm. Which, in Lagaard, is during most of the waking hours." Up the stairs we went; apparently the others had nothing better to do than to accompany me to our rooms. I didn't care, so long as they let me nap in peace. "There's supposed to be a nice breeze in the Labyrinth, so I should be able to stay awake there."

"Let's hope so," the ronin replied.

"By the way, why two rooms? Couldn't you get one with bunkbeds or four cots or something, have one person sleep on the floor, and save a little money? We're adventurers, not tourists."

"Mutsuki and Yayoi won't sleep in the same room together," said Kisaragi.

The second room was closer, so I opened the door to it and took a step inside. Then stopped short.

Yayoi and Uzuki were in the room. That much was to be expected. Uzuki was kneeling on one of the beds, her eyes closed, with a faint but serene smile on her face; I couldn't tell whether she was awake or not. Yayoi lay with her head in her sister's lap. She was snoring softly.

"What is it?" I heard Kisaragi ask, behind me. The hunter peeked over my shoulder. "Oh, that," she said dismissively. "Get used to it. They do it all the time."

Her words, though not loud, were enough to disturb Uzuki. The hexer opened her eyes and seemed briefly startled, though she didn't move. Her eyes focused on us. Now expressionless as usual, she laid a hand softly on her sister's hair, and her cheeks reddened slightly as she averted her gaze from mine. I was conscious that I was blushing as well.

I continued into the room and quietly took a seat on the unoccupied bed; the other girls tromped in after me, Kisaragi casting a glance at my red face and snickering. Yayoi seemed to be quite a sound sleeper. She continued snoring contentedly through all this.

"What was that sponsorship examination about, by the way?" Mutsuki asked me.

"Oh," I said, remembering that we'd never discussed it. "It's some kind of mapping assignment." I drew the pamphlet from my coat pocket and handed it to the ronin, who scanned through it quickly, too fast to actually be reading any of it. She pulled out from it a piece of loose parchment which had printed upon it the outline the entrance room on the Labyrinth, from which we were supposed to continue our map.

"Well, we'll be relying on you again, Uzuki," Mutsuki said. She tossed the parchment in the hexer's direction; it sailed slowly through the air and landed on the witch's face, then slid off. While our chattering had failed to disturb her, the infinitesimal impact did the job. Yayoi blinked awake, looking up at Uzuki suspiciously. "Did you do something to me, sis?" she asked, her voice drowsy.

Uzuki shook her head. She in turn blinked as she noticed me gazing at her again, and the blush returned to her cheeks. The hexer looked down at her sister, her hair falling forward and concealing her eyes as it was prone to do. "...embarrassing," she said quietly.

"What's embarrassing?" asked Yayoi. She yawned widely, but made no motion to remove her head from her sister's lap.

"What do you think?" I asked the witch, annoyance entering my voice. It seemed that I'd have to serve as the quiet girl's advocate once again.

"Oh. Me sleeping like this, you mean?" With an exaggerated sigh, Yayoi sat up, stretching her arms above her. "Well, let's sort that out," she declared. She nodded at Mutsuki and Kisaragi. "Do either of you think there's anything strange about me sleeping with my head on my sister's lap? You don't count, Satsuki, because you haven't even known us for a day."

Kisaragi giggled. "I think it's cute," she replied. Mutsuki took longer to come to her conclusion, but eventually shook her head.

"See, sis? No one cares, so you shouldn't be embarrassed," Yayoi said, crossing her arms and regarding the hexer. "Neither you nor I can help that your lap makes a comfortable pillow, so I may as well sleep on it, especially since you're useless for anything else."

Fuming by now, I opened my mouth. But Mutsuki beat me to replying.

"Useless, indeed," the ronin interjected. "Uzuki draws all our maps, carries most of our things, and tosses them to anyone who needs them. She's not very good with either her staff or her spells, and recognizes it... unlike a certain 'war magus', who's declared her intent to ineffectively bludgeon monsters rather than use her talents to keep the rest of us in good health."

Yayoi glared at her. "I'm glad you understand," she replied, well aware she was being ridiculed but seemingly unable to think of a witty rejoinder.

"Who threw you that medicine when that Ragelope attacked us as we were escaping Etria?" inquired Kisaragi, probably more eager to add fuel to the flame than to come to Uzuki's defense. "And probably saved all our lives, as a result?"

"Satsuki, wasn't it?" replied the witch, her expression betraying nothing of the absurdity she surely knew was leaving her mouth.

That pushed me over the edge. "That is the stupidest excuse I've ever heard!" I shouted at Yayoi. "I was never with you in Etria. I didn't know you before today. You said so yourself!"

"I wasn't talking about you," said Yayoi, visibly seething as much as I was, even if she was better at controlling her voice. "All of you, stop trying to guilt me! I'll talk to my sister how I like, and even if she's coddled you into thinking she's something other than dead weight, I know she's still a damn good-for-nothing. And we are going to our room!" She grabbed Uzuki's arm, pulled her off the bed, and marched her out of the room. The door slammed.

With an exasperated sigh, I closed my eyes and fell back on the bed, trying to calm myself.

The door opened. "I don't care to see any of you again before supper," the witch's voice announced- level, though still icy. "But afterwards, we have a spare bed if any of you want it." The door slammed again.

A girlish giggle sounded. "Did you hear that?" Kisaragi said. "They're going to sleep together."

I opened my eyes. My gaze fell upon the whip that hung coiled at the hunter's side. And suddenly, my anger was gone, replaced by the most furious blush I'd ever experienced- something which must have satisfied Kisaragi immensely.

"They do that all the time, too," she added, winking at me.

Without favoring her with a reply, I turned over and tried to sleep. The two others were quiet enough after that, but I was plagued by thoughts of a disturbing nature for the rest of that afternoon.

* * *

Suppertime came. We headed down to the common room and ate together in silence, all five of us. Not because the argument earlier had left us all feeling antisocial, but because the food on my voyage to Lagaard had been exceptionally bad, and evidently the others had had a similar experience. Inn stew wasn't gourmet cuisine, but it had fresh meat in it, wasn't salted so much it threatened to choke you and was the warmest meal I'd had since leaving home.

With the knowledge that our next supper might be in the depths of the Labyrinth and consist of salt pork and hardtack again, and the freedom allotted by the all-you-can-eat policy of any good inn, we stuffed ourselves. Our mouths were too busy to waste any time on shaping words.

Kisaragi managed a token effort when we finally pushed our bowls away. "Eat your fill, Satsuki?" she asked me, grinning. "You'll get fat if you don't pull your weight tomorrow."

"I'll take that as an invitation to be lazy," I replied. "Where I come from, a girl with a little roundness to her belly is considered more beautiful."

"More likely to last the winter, huh?" said the witch. "Not that you can tell under those coats, anyway." _Honestly. That girl is obsessed with my coat._

"If any of you don't pull your weight tomorrow, I'll give you plenty of exercise fleeing from the edge of my blade," proposed Mutsuki. "How's that?"

"Sounds like a plan."

We stood, already feeling the fatigue from having eaten such a full meal, and walked up the stairs to the second floor. "Is anyone coming to our room?" asked Yayoi as we stood in the hallway; she didn't seem to bear us any ill will from the argument earlier.

I considered volunteering. If she started tormenting Uzuki again, I'd be able to protect the poor girl, and... well... okay, I was curious about what exactly 'sleeping together' entailed. If it was like I'd seen earlier, it must not be very restful for Uzuki, but if it wasn't... Thinking thoughts like that, I dithered long enough that Kisaragi beat me to it. "Well, since Satsuki isn't saying anything, guess it's up to me," said the hunter. Without a further word. the three disappeared into the room, leaving me and Mutsuki alone in the hallway.

"Great," remarked the ronin. "Now they'll keep us up all night."

For the third time today so far, color flooded into my cheeks. "M-Mutsuki, you can't mean..." I stammered, glancing sidelong at her.

"Huh?" Mutsuki blinked. "Kisaragi will find some way to tease or provoke Yayoi, and Yayoi will be shouting at her all night. That's what I meant," she said. She gave me an odd look, crossing her arms. "What did you think I meant?"

"Nothing," I replied hurriedly. The ronin regarded me for a moment longer, then shrugged her shoulders. She turned and headed into our room.

I stayed out in the hallway for a few moments longer, closing my eyes and breathing deeply. _I'll have to get used to how they speak in Lagaard,_ I told myself...


End file.
